Angela Merkel to challenge bosses over failure to employ refugees

Angela Merkel is to challenge the bosses of some of Germany’s largest companies to explain why they have not employed more refugees.At a meeting in Berlin on Wednesday evening the German chancellor
will confront the CEOs over hiring and ask them what she can do to
encourage them to take on more asylum seekers. The biggest recruiter is
Deutsche Post DHL, which employs just over 100.Merkel is under pressure over her open-door policy, which has seen
more than a million refugees arrive in Germany over the past 12 months,
and is keen to show there is substance to her promise that newcomers
will benefit Germany in the long term.

Europe’s biggest economy faces a growing skills shortage with a
working-age population due to decrease by six million people over the
next 15 years.Merkel has told bosses that “everyone will benefit” the more refugees
are integrated through the workplace. She will also appeal to their
sense of social responsibility at a time when the economy is
flourishing.They are expected to tell her, however, that they are hampered by
obstacles such as refugees’ struggle to learn German, and a lack of
certainty over the status of those waiting to hear when and whether
their asylum applications will be accepted or not. Other hurdles include
complicated bureaucratic procedures, the inability of some refugees to
be able to prove their qualifications and sometimes even their
identities.The bosses of some of the top DAX-listed companies, including
Siemens, Daimler and Bosch, will exchange ideas with Merkel as to how
they can recruit more newcomers.Deutsche Post DHL, the German postal service, employs just over 100
refugees, mostly in its sorting and delivery departments, and is
expected to take on a further 75 as apprentices this year.“Right now we have 102 refugees including people from Rwanda,
Eritrea, Togo and Syria,” Deutsch Post’s CEO, Frank Appel, said before
the meeting. More than half of those had completed a period of work
experience before being taken on by the company, he said. Deutsche Post
started its refugee initiative a year ago. “As a company which is at
home in Germany and the rest of the world, we wanted to do our bit
towards helping the refugees to integrate,” Appel said.The company said it had tried to adapt itself to the needs of the
asylum seekers, offering them jobs that did not involve too much
knowledge of German and were not too technical.Airline and financial industries have voiced their concerns that with
many asylum seekers unable to prove their identities, it makes it
difficult to take them on because they could not carry out enough
security checks on them.Around 80% of asylum seekers are not qualified beyond primary or
secondary school level. Many cannot read or write, let alone speak
German.Most German companies want to take a longer-term approach to future
employees, ensuring that if they take someone onto their
highly-structured apprenticeship programmes, which can last for up to
four years, they have a long-term perspective of staying in Germany.Some
companies, such as Mercedes, Siemens and Daimler, have offered refugees
pre-training programmes that would prepare them for entry at the
apprenticeship level.The anti-refugee Alternative für Deutschland party has been making
considerable gains in elections over voters’ fears that Merkel’s refugee
policy is a threat to German stability. Her government is keen to show
that not only does the German economy have room for refugees, but that
refugees are also willing to work.The Employment Office, which began gathering statistics on asylum
seekers who are looking for work in June, has so far shown a
month-on-month increase in the numbers. In June 297,000 were looking for
work, and in August the figure had jumped to 346,000 with signs of an
increasing trend.Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said she had called the meeting
so that concerns and ideas could be shared. “She wants to find out where
the everyday problems are occurring and where there are bureaucratic
hindrances, how they can be alleviated,” he said.

Yes Betty, either or it seems he wanted to fly only with
Singapore Airways.

Boeing or Airbus, it’s just the same
isn’t it? Aren’t they both just fat birds with 500 passengers?

Yes, but Singapore Airlines has the
most beautiful airhostesses: delicate, fine, graceful… Mr. Tigerli had looked forward to the flight
so much!

So the little man was disappointed?

You just can’t imagine how disappointed
he was.

But thank God one of the hostesses was a
pretty Chinese girl. Mr. Tigerli purred loudly but she didn’t hear him because
the purring of the Airbus 380 was even louder.

The poor cat!

You’ve said it Betty. Mr. Tigerli was
in a very bad mood and asked me for a loud speaker.

I’m sure you can get one in 1st
Class.

“”Russian Girl” had even heard you over
the roar of the Niagara Falls” I said to Mr. Tigerli. “You are a very
unfaithful cat. You wanted to get to know Asiatic girls. That’s how it is when
one leaves one’s first love”.

And what did he say to that?

“Men are hunters” was his answer.

Yes, my dear cat, a mouse hunter. And
what else did he say?

Not another word. He behaved as if he
hadn’t heard me.

The Airbus is very loud.

I told him shortly “Don’t trouble
yourself about “Chinese Girl”. There will be enough even prettier girls in
China. Wait till we land in Guilin”.

About Me

Betty MacDonald Fan Club, founded by Wolfgang Hampel, has members in 40 countries.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
Several original Interviews with Betty MacDonald are available.
We are also organizing international Betty MacDonald Fan Club Events for example, Betty MacDonald Fan Club Eurovision Song Contest Meetings in Oslo and Düsseldorf, Royal Wedding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Event in Stockholm and Betty MacDonald Fan Club Fifa Worldcup Conferences in South Africa and Germany.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's The Plague and I, Betty MacDonald's nephew, artist and writer Darsie Beck, Betty MacDonald fans and beloved authors and artists Gwen Grant, Letizia Mancino, Perry Woodfin, Traci Tyne Hilton, Tatjana Geßler, music producer Bernd Kunze, musician Thomas Bödigheimer, translater Mary Holmes and Mr. Tigerli.